Storrs, Conn.- The University of Connecticut women’s track team will travel to Philadelphia, P.A. this weekend to compete in the 118th annual Penn Relays. The team will be sending twelve athletes to enter in the competition, which will commence Thursday April, 26th and run through Saturday April, 28th. The meet will be held at the world famous Franklin Field, where over 20,000 athletes are set to compete.

“It is as much a festival as a meet and will be a great venue and format as a prelude to championship season, which will conclude with the Olympic Trials in late June,” Head Coach Bill Morgan commentated on the remainder of the season.

With over 20,000 competitors the Huskies will have their work cut out for them. Collegians as well as post-collegians will be gearing up for a trip to Philadelphia and with a variety of levels for each event, it will be exciting for the team to compete at this level of competition.

Leading the way for the Huskies will be the squad’s All-American high jumpers sophomore Natasha McLaren (Stroudsburg, Pa.) listed at 6' 1 1/2" and junior Ilva Bikanova (Madonas, Latvia) with a mark of 5' 11".Supporting the All- Americans will be the likes of junior Jasmine Cribb (Naugatuck,Conn.) who is ranked twelfth with a jump of 5' 10". Cribb was able to set the Penn Relay record last year in the college section high jump. With McLaren placing 3rd at NCAA Indoor Championships and Bikanova winner of the BIG EAST Championship, expectations and possibilities for success this weekend look promising.

All-American senior Victoria Flowers (Providence, R.I.), a recent addition to the record books with her 207' 6" hammer throw, will be included in the championship hammer throw and is currently ranked ninth in the country.

With Shauna McNiff (Hingham, Mass.) entered in the 5000-meter championship section and senior Heather Wilson(Homer,N.Y.) and freshman Lindsay Crevoiserat (Glastonbury,Conn.) in the Olympic Development mile, our team is poised for a very high level experience.

Rounding out the entrees for the weekend will be sprinters Brianna Allen (Windsor,Conn.), Tiffany Daley (Northborough,Mass.), Madalayne Smith (Ballston Spa,N.Y.), and All-American Celina Emerson(Newark,Del.). The squad will compete in both the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.

The Huskies will need to take advantage of the high level of competition and try to remain focused on the upcoming BIG EAST Championships next weekend.